Barrel clamp for hand trucks



May 12, 1964 E. J. BERGERON BARREL CLAMP FOR HAND TRUCKS Filed Feb. 21, 1962 INVENTOR. EDWARD J. BERGERON avg g W X/Zfl (WfiM :5 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,132,401 BARREL CLAMP FOR HAND TRUCKS Edward J. Bergeron, 4727 SE. 58th Ave., Portland, Greg. Filed Feb. 21, 1962, Ser. No. 174,757 2 Claims. (Cl. 24-263) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in barrel clamps for hand trucks.

it is customary in present day practice for truck pick-up drivers to carry a small hand truck for the purpose of handling freight. These hand trucks are made of minimum size and weight and are designed particularly for handling small items such as cartons or the like. It is necessary occasionally for the trucker to handle heavy barrels, but since such occasions do not occur very often the trucker is not equipped with hand truck means to handle such merchandise, or at least the hand trucks employed, while being capable of handlingbarrels, are not constructed such that the trucker can tip the barrel with the truck by himself. Therefore, it is necessary usually that the trucker call for help which often-times necessitates the sending out of an extra man.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention it is an important object to provide a barrel clamp for hand trucks which is designed for'use on the conventional, small, and light-weight hand trucks and which is adapted to clamp 21 barrel thereto so that a trucker can tip the barrel on the truck without extra help.

It is another object to provide a barrel clamp for hand trucks which has adjustable barrel clamp means for accommodating barrels of different structure.

It is another object to provide a barrel clamp for hand trucks employing novel clamp means which is adapted to grip the barrel automatically-vupon the production of forces resulting from the tipping of the hand truck.

It is still a further object to provide a clamp of the type described which is adapted to be attached removably to a conventional hand truck whereby it may be carried apart from the hand truck if desired.

Briefly stated, the clamp of this invention has at one end thereof means for attaching it to a hand truck. Leading from said attaching means is a straight shank portion on which is mounted slidably a clampmember, the clamp member having an aperture for receiving the shank. This aperture is of slightly greater diameter than the shank whereby the clamp member is freely slidable on the shank but when inclined relative thereto is adapted to grip the shank and fix itself in a stationary position on the shank.

The invention will be better understood and additional objects thereof will become more apparent from the accompanying specification and claims considered together with the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals of reference indicate like parts and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of the present barrel clamp as applied to a hand truck and in clamping relation with a barrel on the truck;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the present device in enlarged form;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the clamp portion in gripping relation with the shank portion of the stem; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of an alternative form of clamp member.

With particular reference to the drawings, FIGURE 1 illustrates a hand truck of the type which is in common use. This type of hand truck has a pair of side frame members 1-2 and a central frame member v14. Such trucks also have a pair of wheels 16 and a bottom freight supporting blade 18. The present device is intended to provide for the handling of barrels 20 which rolling position.

3,132,401 Patented May 12, 1964 conventionally have top peripheral lips The hand truck illustrated is the type used for generalfreight handling but as is well known, it is not possible for one man to tip such a truck and. a heavy barrel into'a tilted The present invention-thus makes practical the use of a conventional small hand truck for use by a single operator in moving barrels if necessary.

Referring first to FIGURES 1-3, a clamp, designated generally by the numeral 26, has a hook portion 28 at one end adapted for removable engagement with the central frame member 14 of a hand truck. The hook 23 leads into a straight shank portion 30 which preferably is somewhat elongated for a purpose to be described.

Mounted on the shank 30' is a grip member 32 which is a solid piece of metal and which in cross-section is triangularly shaped. Grip member 32 has'an aperture 34- in its upper or narrowed portion to receive the shank 30. Importantly, aperture '34 is of slightly greater diameter than that of shank 30 so that the grip member is slidable freely on said shank. However, the size "relationship of the aperture 3'4 and shank 30' is such that upon inclina- I tion of the grip member 32 relative to the shank 30, opposite upper and lower edges of the walls defining the aperture 34 create a binding or gripping connection with the shank. This binding action is shown in FIGURE 3.

The face of the grip member 32 which is directed toward the hook portion 28 is provided with grooves 36 to form a serrated surface, such serrated surface functioning to grip the top edge or lip of a barrel. The ends of the shank and hook are swaged at 3-8 to prevent displacement of the grip member 32 therefrom. It is to be noted, FIGURE 3, that the serrated face of the grip member 32 is angularly disposed relative to the axis of aperture 34 whereby in a rest condition of the member 32 the serrated face is angularly disposed relative to the when the member 32 is in gripping relation, i.e., in its FIGURE 3 position, the serrated face is substantially normal to the axis of the shank. Such provides a positive and non-slip engagement with the lip of the barrel.

FIGURE 4 illustrates a modified grip member 32a having an aperture 34a for receiving the shank 30 and similar to the FIGURE '1 construction this aperture is of slightly greater diameter than the shank so that it is slidable thereon when the device hangs freely but is adapted to grip the shank when a force acts on the lower end thereof.

Grip member 32a is formed of fiat metal stock and bent at 40 to form an upper portion 42 which contains the aperture 34a and a lower portion 44 having a grid arrangement of grooves 36a serving to grip the lip of a barrel. The structure of member 32a and the disposition of aperture 34a is such that in the gripping position thereof on the shank 30 the lower portion 4 4 is su] stantially normal to the shank whereby positively to grip the barrel lip.

In operation, the blade 18 of the hand truck is placed under the barrel and the hand truck tilted forwardly to position it substantially parallel with the side wall of the barrel. Thereupon, the present clamp is placed in a position wherein the hook 28 engages the central frame member 14 of the hand truck and the grip member 32, 32a disposed on the inner surface of barrel lip 22. .As soon as a force is applied to the grip member 32 or 32a at a point spaced from the aperture 34 or 34a, respectively, said grip will assume an inclined position relative to the shank 30 and grip the latter.

Thus as long as the operator applies a pulling force on the handles of the truck, the grip member 32 or 320 will be fixed to the shank. The operator can use both hand and shifts his weight in a most efficient manner to tip the truck.

In a preferred construction, as shown, it is desired that the present clamp be detachable from the lift truck whereby it can be carried elsewhere and not interfere with normal use of the truck. Such is accomplished by use of the hook 28. It is to be-understood, however, that other attaching means may be employed wherein the devicecomprises a permanent part of the hand truck.

It is to be understood that the forms of my invention herein shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same and that various other changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A barrel clamp for use with .a hand truck and adapted to engage the inner surface of an upper barrel lip to mount the barrel on a hand truck comprising: an elongated rigid shank having at one end thereof means adapted for attaching the shank in a horizontal position to a hand truck, a barrel engaging member having an aperture adjacent one end receiving said shank whereby said barrel engaging member is supported in depending relation on said shank, said aperture being of slightly 25 greater diameter than said shank for slidable and rotatable movement of said barrel engaging member on said shank when the axis of the aperture is substantially parallel to the axis of the shank, said barrel engaging member having a face surface directed toward said hand truck attaching means on the shank and arranged to engage the inner surface of a barrel lip, said barrel engaging member being arranged to grip said shank upon being angled relative to the shank wherein the axis of its aperture is out of parallel with the shank axis.

2. The barrel clamp of claim 1 wherein the means for attaching said shank to a hand truck comprises a hook facilitating detachable mounting of said shank on a hand truck.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 347,079 Williams Aug. 10, 1886 461,433 Haskins Oct. 20, 1891 895,047 Schraudner Aug. 4, 1908 2,476,539 Fortin July 19, 1949 3,033,559 Lindholm May 8, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 277,868 Switzerland Dec. 17, 1950 

1. A BARREL CLAMP FOR USE WITH A HAND TRUCK AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE INNER SURFACE OF AN UPPER BARREL LIP TO MOUNT THE BARREL ON A HAND TRUCK COMPRISING: AN ELONGATED RIGID SHANK HAVING AT ONE END THEREOF MEANS ADAPTED FOR ATTACHING THE SHANK IN A HORIZONTAL POSITION TO A HAND TRUCK, A BARREL ENGAGING MEMBER HAVING AN APERTURE ADJACENT ONE END RECEIVING SAID SHANK WHEREBY SAID BARREL ENGAGING MEMBER IS SUPPORTED IN DEPENDING RELATION ON SAID SHANK, SAID APERTURE BEING OF SLIGHTLY GREATER DIAMETER THAN SAID SHANK FOR SLIDABLE AND ROTATABLE MOVEMENT OF SAID BARREL ENGAGING MEMBER ON SAID SHANK WHEN THE AXIS OF THE APERTURE IS SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF THE SHANK, SAID BARREL ENGAGING MEMBER HAVING A FACE SURFACE DIRECTED TOWARD SAID HAND TRUCK ATTACHING MEANS ON THE SHANK AND ARRANGED TO ENGAGE THE INNER SURFACE OF A BARREL LIP, SAID BARREL ENGAGING MEMBER BEING ARRANGED TO GRIP SAID SHANK UPON BEING ANGLED RELATIVE TO THE SHANK WHEREIN THE AXIS OF ITS APERTURE IS OUT OF PARALLEL WITH THE SHANK AXIS. 